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by blackmajick7
Summary: His mind calls it revenge, but there is something far more sacred than revenge in Jareth's heart. Will he realize this and win Sarah over or will she again defy him the wishes he offers? Set recently after Labyrinth. Rated R for a reason.
1. Prologue

Okay, I'm a stranger to you all but I hope you like this first Labyrinth fanfic of mine. Read this little prologue first and review please so I can know if you like it enough for me to continue. This first part is PG-13 but after this, it's gonna be R. Oh yeah. I don't really pay too much attention to sentence structure as much as some do so just kind of ignore that fault. Please tell me if I'm putting enough character into these two because that's really important (to my standards anyhow). Well, enjoy! ...Monica, Blackmajick7 A/N: In spite of all my complaints and letters to Jim Henson, he said I could not own Jareth or Sarah. Yea, you all knew that was comin'. Numb  
  
PROLOGUE  
  
Sarah's eyes blinked a few times and squinted in the darkness. Her tongue unknowingly ran across her lips as they parted, partially revealing her teeth. Suddenly, she felt hot all over her slim body that was draped over in an oversized white t-shirt. She was then aware that there lay no boundaries underneath that thin, cheap shirt and that its bottom hem lay a little less than mid-thigh length. With this realization, she swallowed hard and tried to cast her wide, green eyes away from the sight before her bed which she sat on.  
  
Jareth spread his lips into a wide grin, his unmistakingly sharp teeth gleaming in the soft moonlight. His mismatched eyes gratefully roamed over the young girl's body, drinking in her form in the shadows that enveloped her. His grin soon morphed into a knowing smile as he watched Sarah's eyes beginning to rove to his own body. He was wearing black breeches and black paired with a loose, black painter's shirt. Over the shirt was his usual vest accessory: black, glossy and tight-fitting. His hands, surprisingly, were not graced by his usual black gloves.  
  
Sarah bit back the urge to invite him to join her on the bed. 'What is he doing here?' she cried in her mind. 'I solved his damn labyrinth and won Toby back--'   
  
Her thoughts were promptly interrupted by her own mouth. "Why the hell have you come back?!" she screamed, standing up from the bed out of the vulnerable position she had been in.  
  
Jareth stayed where he was by her window, amused by her sudden outburst. Though he was no longer smiling, his eyes held the laughter as he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "Shouldn't you repeat that question in your mind, Sarah? I hope you aren't that naive."  
  
Sarah's newfound bravery quickly dissolved into embarrassment. Her once defying eyes fell down to the carpeted floor as she yelled at herself in her mind at how stupid she was. And then anger filled her eyes. "You sick pervert! I'm only 15! Do you actually think I'd want you of all people? What are you going to do, force yourself upon me?" she snapped in an obviously disgusted tone. Though inside, her hormones were going wild and her body was yearning to be pressed against the Goblin King.  
  
Jareth cocked an elegantly arched eyebrow as he stepped forward. "That is precisely what I shall do should you decide not to cooperate with my intentions."  
  
Sweat gathered between Sarah's young breasts and on the inside of her smooth, shaven thighs. 'Thank god I decided to shave last night,' a voice in her mind whispered. Sarah bit her lip at this thought. She couldn't just let Jareth have his way with her without a fight, even if she wanted him as well. She was a virgin, after all.  
  
Sarah stood her ground and glared at the fair-haired king. "That is called rape, Jareth. I would think even a being such as yourself would find that a little incriminating."  
  
Jareth continued his step towards her until they were mere inches apart, his tall figure dwarfing Sarah's in size. "Do not make the mistake of thinking you, little girl, have any power over me to make me feel ashamed." His eyes pierced into Sarah's, making her feel small once again.  
  
"How did you get in?" Sarah inquired, quickly changing the subject. "My parents are just across the hall." She already knew the answer. Transporting was a given with his stealthiness.  
  
Jareth smirked. "Sarah, Sarah. Though the last time you were in my kingdom was cut rather short, you know me more than that." His eyes glanced about the room. "I believe we're going to have to visit my bedchambers to make this whole situation a bit more appropriate," he rasped devilishly, running one of his long fingers along Sarah's cheek. She stiffened beneath his touch, suddenly afraid. Her lips were dry with desire yet she had a sudden dark fear for going back to the castle to his bedroom.   
  
"Why do you want me?" she whispered before he let his finger run across her bottom lip. Instinctively, her body leaned in towards him, intoxicated by his scent. It was some mixture of apple spice and the scent of the woods. "Why do you want me?" Jareth retaliated. He, too, leaned closer so much that their lips were almost touching. His reached out his right arm and circled it about her waist.  
  
Sarah was now pressed against the Goblin King and she closed her eyes with the thought. Her tongue slipped out to lick her lips before replying the unnecessary.  
  
"I asked you first."  
  
Before she could close her mouth, Jareth captured her lips with his, wrapping his left arm around her neck, drawing her even closer. Sarah gasped into his mouth but instantly returned the soft yet yearning kiss. She allowed his tongue to enter her own mouth and soon the soft kiss turned more fierceful. Just as Sarah thought she should break away for the need of air, a tingling sensation covered her body and she became dizzy. When she opened her eyes, a candle-lit bedchamber lay before her. She quickly pulled away from Jareth and twirled about. The room was exquisite. Intricate wood carvings, beautiful silk drapes and sheets, earthy-coloured tones. Her eyes stopped at a large, full-length mirror and the sight before her caused her mouth to drop. She wore a dark, emerald green silk robe tht was tied loosely about her curvy waist and black, jeweled high-heeled slippers. Her hair was no longer pulled back in a pony-tail, but lay beautifully around her shoulders and back. She couldn't blink before another figure stepped into the reflection behind her, his hands resting on her hips and his chin on her right shoulder.  
  
"You are mine now, Sarah Williams," Jareth cooed into her ear, causing her to shiver with unspeakable desire.  
  
No, she definitely was not home. And she wondered if she'd ever return again.  
  
REVIEW, PEOPLE!! I'M NEW AND I NEED TO KNOW IF I SUCK AT THIS! =) 


	2. Chapter 1 Candlelit Night

Ok, I'm stupid.. I realize just now how to edit my chapters. You all will have to excuse me because its been three years since I've ever used html and it can be quite confusing. I'll try to be prompt with my updates because I know, as a fanfic reader myself, people can get pretty pissed and unforgiving about no updates for two weeks. I'm going to try the weekly thing.   
  
Oh, and I hope that nobody thinks this is ALL just gonna be like this. Nah, there IS going to be some kind of story.. and who knows? it just might end up being 30 chapters long and taking me a couple years to write.. though I seriously doubt that! What all I'm really trying to do is to develop a romance story between Jareth and Sarah when Sarah is just still 15. Hopefully I can pull it off without totally making it all sound retarded. I could use some help with suggestions so send them in please.

ON WITH THE SHOW!!  
  
A/N: NO, Jareth and Sarah do not BELONG to me! Geez, if it's gonna piss me off this much to write that only the 2nd time, I don't know how I'm gonna survive this disclaimer crap.  
  
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**CHAPTER ONE  
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Sarah nearly jumped at the contact of Jareth's hand brushing away her hair from her soft neck and placing his lips against the skin. However, she did indeed jump when his sharp teeth nipped at the vulnerable flesh. Her eyes watched him in the reflection as he hungrily pulled the beautiful silk robe down to disclose her pale, naked shoulder. There he began to kiss and bite the skin. Soon, he turned her about to face him and Sarah's confused eyes met his mismatched, lust-filled ones.   
  
"I'm only a child."  
  
The words slipped from her mouth, reacting to what only her brain screamed at her. 'This is wrong,' it cried out, suffocated by the everyday morals that one is engulfed in by what other people say. 'He's so much older. He looks about 40 but he is probably several centuries old judging from this fantasy world. And, even if he was only 40, that would still be wrong! He's molesting you!'  
  
Jareth's eyes bore into hers, hypnotizing Sarah's mind. "Are you not capable of returning my touch, my actions? Though you do not seem to understand this, Sarah, you are a woman. And with given practice, your comfort in all this would be gained." He spoke to her gently and seemed not the cruel man he had always been. Unfortunately for Sarah, these would be the only words of comfort out of this Goblin King's mouth.  
  
Sarah closed her eyes, trying to breathe correctly. The contrast of what her mind said and what her body desired was very great. She longed for this now and even had dirty thoughts about him when she had been trying to save Toby. There was just something about him, something ethereal that was completely attractive that pulled her closer. Yet she did not know what Jareth was capable of doing to her once she gave into him. Sure, she had kissed a boy before and understood the basics of sex. Blame that on high school. But just how kinky could _this_ guy get?   
  
With this new thought, Sarah's eyes flew open again but it was too late. Jareth's mouth covered hers once again in such a passionate kiss that she lost her footing. She felt Jareth hands grasp her rear which then caused her heart rate to elevate to the extreme. Her mind, somehow, shut closed of the previous thoughts and she knew only to respond to Jareth's movements. Her arms circled around his neck, tickled by the blond, spiked hair that adorned his head and, naturally, her long legs wrapped around his waist. She let herself be practically rammed into a nearby wall and moaned into the powerful kiss that she was sharing with this amazing man. The flimsy robe's tie let completely loose about her hips and Sarah felt her naked womanhood against Jareth's breeches. Quickly, she was aware of a certain hardened object and with this thought, she had the unexpected courage to let herself drop from Jareth and shrug off the robe entirely. There she leaned against the wall, inviting him and seemingly not afraid at the moment.   
  
Jareth couldn't keep the wicked smirk off his lips as he took in the enticing sight of her nude body with his eager eyes. She was a genuine beauty. Her breasts, perhaps not full grown, but nicely sized and topped with dark pink nipples. Her stomach was relatively flat with just enough meat and her hips were narrow but not so much to make her not have the curves of a woman. The legs of this creature were slim and long, and in between lay the dark patch of hair that hid her treasure. His eyes found their way back to her face, partially covered with her long, dark brown hair, giving her a sweetness that no other woman he knew before could hold. Did this girl really know what she was getting herself into?   
  
Jareth abruptly raised his arm and performed some movement of his hand, suddenly appearing naked before Sarah as well. Her eyes widened in surprise and she froze yet her eyes traveled along his magnificent form.   
  
"Oh.." she choked out, her mouth hanging agape with wonder. "You're so...beautiful..." She definitely was correct. Jareth's body was of an athletic build, the muscles in his legs and arms long and lean while his abdominal and pectoral muscles were cut and rippled beneath his fair skin. The most prominent "muscle" was, indeed, very large. Sarah could only swallow hard in her throat as she felt the sensation of a warmness grow over her own body.   
  
There were no more words exchanged between the two when Jareth gripped onto Sarah's wrists and raised them above her head. She couldn't even so much as let a squeal escape her mouth before Jareth ravished her soft lips with his own. The kiss was like no other she had experienced. She felt as if she were another girl, just watching this show across the room between some gorgeous immortal man and a strange mortal teenager. But then he let his tongue fall down to her neck, gently sucking and again, biting with his teeth. Sarah did not know what to do when that tongue traveled lower to her left breast to flick at the hard nubbin of the nipple. Her hands only found their way to his blond mane and tugged harshly. Somehow, this derived pleasure out of the Goblin King; he groaned and bit down on her tender flesh causing her to let out the squeal that she had meant to exhale earlier. Trying to recover from the sharp pain, she felt Jareth pick her up and carry her to the huge, stately canopy bed carved out of some kind of wood that resembled mahogany yet was of an even darker tone.   
  
The luxurious midnight blue bedspread was pulled back to reveal smooth and cool silken sheets that lay against her bare back which caused her to feel a lingering shiver down Sarah's spine. Soon this was all forgotten when Jareth pressed his body on top of her and again passionately kissed her for what seemed like minutes. While they kissed, his one hand cupped her round behind to stable her while the other positioned himself to her. As he broke the kiss, the virginal innocence of Sarah was too broken. Her eyes closed tightly at the slight pain but this was all forgotten when pleasure consumed her senses. Jareth kissed her again, more softly than before but still with deep lust. Soon, they were rocking together, immersed in the blissful sensations with each thrust and each withdraw. Forgetting herself, Sarah first grasped Jareth's back and then ran her nails down his back, producing red marks and a hint of shameless, pleasureful pain on his part. This only caused him to seize her arms and pin them above her head, thrusting more deeply and harshly into her. Sarah cried in ecstasy as she came to her climax and only seconds later, Jareth to his. He collapsed on her side, catching his breath while watching Sarah trying to regain her composure, the sweat that gathered on her creamy skin.   
  
After Sarah began to breathe normally, she quickly noticed Jareth's eyes on her and innocently scrambled to pull the silk sheet over her naked body. Her eyes gazed down, not knowing what to say or even what to think other than that this man was incredible. A minute or two passed before Jareth stood up from the bed and produced a black robe out of the air, then pulling it around his trim body.   
  
"Where are you going?" Sarah asked in a voice just above a whisper. Her eyes shyly looked to his face in the dim candlelight.   
  
"To bathe," he replied in his usual cold voice. His mask was carefully placed back over his emotions. He knew that he couldn't possibly let her see the feelings that he had for her that he had just began to take notice of himself.   
  
Sarah frowned and sat up on the bed, propped up by the plush pillows that lay at her back. She watched as he walked across the room to a door of which she figured was the bathroom. "Aren't you going to send me back?"

"No."   
  
The simple answer made Sarah's heart drop.

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DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW AND TELL ME OF YOUR SUGGESTIONS _AND_ COMMENTS! 


	3. Chapter 2 Arguements

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I forgot to mention that please, you can say what you want to say about my story but try to ameliorate it by not cursing. I take all criticism, especially since this is my very first Labyrinth fic. I _do_ know that this story is not quite like the others since I began with a sex scene but, I'm sorry, that is just how I wanted to begin. Plus, that is my preference in writing, ya know. :: :: knows she is a perv :: ::

So, I am sorry if I offended anyone by standing out in the crowd. It's just all those late-night movies.. Damn them. This particular chapter, however, is mild. Not exactly R.. more like PG-13 for a little language. Just look at the title of the chapter, yeh.. that pretty much explains it. I _tried_ to make this one longer but.. I don't think it worked. Oh well. Continue to review guys! Also, feel free to e-mail me with any suggestions. I'd appreciate it.

A/N: Jareth and Sarah belong to Jim Henson. But, Siraluei belongs to none other than me! Tada! Now you can clap for meh!

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**CHAPTER TWO**

Sarah watched as the man, who stole away her innocence, closed the bathroom door behind him as nonchalant as can be. She attempted to fight off the sheer infuriation that was beginning to build steadily in her system at Jareth's coldness and yet at the same time, she had a twinge of excitement that he was not sending her back to the hellhole that he took her from. She was consumed by thoughts of what she had done... with this _king_.  
  
'What am I now to him?' she wondered. 'I don't want to be his toy. I hope that is not all I am. But, then.. what else would I be to him?... His queen?'  
  
She creased her forehead and scowled at the realization. "I'm just a toy to him," she grumbled, sliding off the bed in resentment.  
  
Her eyes sadly looked for the robe that she had strewn off only an hour ago. The rich emerald caught her eyes and she walked bitterly over to put it on. After tying the robe tightly, she allowed her sight to take in the fine bedchamber at length, trying to forget her unpleasant thoughts.  
  
There was no wallpaper; earthy dark wood paneling covered the walls and the soft, almost shaggy carpet was a deep blue. The same blue beautified the thick, velvety drapes that framed the couple of enormous medieval-like windows. The same kind of mahogany color of the bed made up the rest of the lordly furniture. An armoire was set against a wall adjacent to the bed and there were numerous tables and chairs set perfectly in place for the room's proportion. Something that particularly clinched her attention even more so than anything else was the dazzling fireplace that was set on one wall that seemed not to have any furniture nearby. It was made of some odd, dark and almost marble stone. Cryptic carving covered the mantle piece that would make one become baffled and intrigued. Strange symbols that seemed to appear elvish jumped out at Sarah's curious eyes.  
  
There were no paintings adorning the walls. Yet she could easily see that this room was Jareth's, for when she opened the armoire, his flashy and stylish clothing filled the compartments. As she flipped through the different articles, she saw that the armoire must have been a lot larger than it already appeared, because the clothes literally went on with no end.  
  
Just as Sarah was about glance out of one of the windows to get a look at the Underground, Jareth walked into the room, completely dressed. This caused her to be taken aback but as soon as her eyes landed on him, her mouth became dry. He looked particularly attractive in black breeches, a loose midnight blue painter's shirt and a black vest. His usual black boots were there and so were his black gloves. He perfectly matched with the bedchamber's tones. Sarah didn't realize that she was now practically gaping at his appearance, especially so when her vision caught an unmistakable bulge. She also didn't realize that Jareth had advanced to her and was now only a few feet away, leaving her no space to back up for the window was just behind her.  
  
After a moment, Sarah let her eyes rise to his face, feeling embarrassed. She sighed, struggling to collect herself. "Why are you dressed already? It's still dark out."  
  
Jareth slowly crossed his arms, first grinning at her attempt to appear as if she weren't checking him out and then became irritated at her naivety. "Perhaps you have forgotten who I am and that maybe there are certain duties that need tending to?"  
  
"Why are you keeping me here?" Sarah blurted out of the blue, crossing her arms also and leaning against the window. Her face read clear exasperation and hopelessness. "Maybe I want to go back. Are you going to keep me locked up in your castle like I'm just some stupid whore?" she spat, stepping up to him with newfound courage.  
  
The Goblin King narrowed his eyes and smiled bitterly. "Maybe that is just what I intend to do, Sarah," he countered back, closing in on the inches that they had been apart. He leaned into her so that his lips were just aligned with hers. She held her breath, losing her senses in the intimacy that Jareth put forth. "And there is _nothing_ that you can do because you are no longer in your world. You are in _mine_. You belong to _me_."  
  
Sarah couldn't stifle the soft moan that was emitted from her lips; she was deeply turned on by his possessive words. But, of course, she was quite pissed off about it as well. So it was true. She was just his whore for the evening, nothing more.  
  
Jareth had drew away and was smirking cockily at her reaction as it morphed from swooning to ill humor. He loved playing these games with her because she was so vulnerable. Yet he knew that if he kept this up, she would soon wake up and catch on. Actually, she already had with one look at his grin.  
  
"You bastard! I don't care if you're a king, you can't expect for me to just sit here and let you sleep with me as if I'm some cheap slut to entertain you for the night," Sarah growled, scrunching up her forehead but standing her ground.  
  
She was truly beautiful when she was angry and Jareth had the urge to profess this to her but he pushed that thought away for his temper was beginning to flare. How dare she speak in such a way to him! He was not some common mortal that she was speaking to, he was the King of the Goblins. Within the Underground, Goblin King was the highest rank possible. There were no fae that could even come close to the absolute power or magic that he possessed. Sarah was dangerously getting on his bad side.  
  
Jareth narrowed his eyes and placed a callous smile onto his thin lips. "No, you are much too young to be labeled as a slut and you will not be entertaining me for tonight only," he smirked ruthlessly before going on, "There will be _many_ more nights."  
  
Sarah glared back at him hatefully. "You'll take me against my will? Rape me?"  
  
"Oh, now Sarah," he spoke to her like she was a child. "You and I both know that taking you against your will is not quite possible under the circumstances."  
  
Jareth's lack of modesty put her over the edge. "And what circumstances would those be?" she inquired with a bit of an attitude, arching her eyebrows.  
  
Jareth chuckled in amusement before advancing in on the girl, backing her up against the window yet again. Slowly he placed his hands against the window on either side of her shoulders, a now more serious look in his eyes. "Don't play dumb with me, Sarah," his words coming out sharply, "I could have raped you but you willingly accepted me. Though, despite what you may think, I am a gentleman and I would not do anything to harm you. You must trust me."  
  
Sarah looked at him incredulously, but she was afraid inside and she knew that Jareth could surely see it. However, she didn't let this stop her from speaking her mind, even when her words came out weak and unsteady. "Trust you? Why? You won't even let me go back home. How can I trust you if you won't give me my freedom?"  
  
The Goblin King shrugged, "Do you wish to go home, Sarah? Would you like it if I sent you back? Back to your own world?"  
  
The girl frowned at his answer. He already knew what she wanted, knew her dreams. "I want to stay," she murmured softly, "but I don't want to be locked up here. I want my freedom."  
  
"If that is what you wish," Jareth replied with what appeared to be honesty. "But there are limits, you know."  
  
"And what are they?"  
  
"Well," he began, backing away from her, "I cannot let you meddle into things in the castle. You may go into every room _but_ my study and my bedchambers, which is now where you are. You will be only permitted to enter into these particular rooms with my permission. You may venture into the gardens in the rear of the castle but you must not go into the Labyrinth. The Underground can be unsafe to a young girl if she happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."  
  
Sarah bit her lip and looked down to his glossy, heeled boots. After a moment's thought, she rose her eyes to meet his again. "What about my friends? Can I see them?"  
  
Jareth frowned distastefully, crossing his arms. "We will talk of that issue at a later time. As for now, I must send for someone to show you to your room."  
  
Sarah looked on as he walked to a door that lead out of the room and disappeared momentarily before coming back with a small-statured fae woman. She appeared young and pleasant-looking, with long, thick auburn hair and a warm complexion. She was dressed in a mint green, sheer dress with green flats. A smile covered her face as she caught sight of the young mortal but Sarah didn't notice for her eyes switched directly to Jareth. Questions still filled her mind; he was leaving so quick without giving her time to think.  
  
"Siraluei will show you to where you will be staying. Should you have any questions, given that they are appropriate, she will answer. And if you want anything, just ask her. I would prefer it if you would have her accompany you should you decide to take a look around. I am expecting company today." Jareth spoke quickly in a detached tone, as if he were thinking about something. Silently, he nodded his head, eyes never meeting Sarah's, and strode out of the room.  
  
Siraluei sighed and closed the distance between her and the mortal. "You'll have to excuse his majesty. He's been like that since.." Abruptly, she caught herself, her violet eyes shining as she smiled again at Sarah. "Well, I best show you to where you'll be sleeping. An early breakfast is already set out for you there. Come along."  
  
Hesitant at first, Sarah followed the fae woman out of the king's bedchambers into a large corridor that branched off to, what seemed like to her, a maze of a few dozen equally enormous rooms.  
  
Still, Jareth remained etched in her mind, what he had done to her and what he was still doing to her.

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Ok, people. It's time. What time you ask? Why, it's REVIEW TIME! Yay!


	4. Chapter 3 New Day

Ah, a new chapter for you all. Be happy, I believe this one is longer! Now that I started back to school (senior, yay for me) I think I might be writing a bit better. Perhaps I went a little overboard with the china sinks.. is there even such a thing? But it doesn't matter 'cause this is Underground fantasy.

It's PG so.. pervs, don't get your hopes up too high. Anyway, thanks to all the people that have been reviewing. I see that someone got a little irked by having Sarah think Jareth looks 40. Well, he _was_ 38 or so at the time of filming the movie Labyrinth, so that is why I nonchalantly put that particular age up. But, really, you are right of course. David Bowie looked more like 30 and right now, he still looks mighty fine... :: :: starts to drool :: ::

Uh, well, I'll leave ya to read the story. I think I need to watch Labyrinth again. Don't forget to review! :: :: grins devilishly and scampers off to TV :: ::

- Monica, blackmajick7

Disclaimer: Jareth and Sarah belong to Jim Henson. Like before, Siraluei is my own.

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**CHAPTER THREE**

Sarah was stunned at how gloriously beautiful her new room looked upon following Siraluei through the intricately carved double doors. Though not quite as wonderful as the King's chambers, it held its own luxuries and allure that a woman would come to pamper in no time at all. The room had a sort of lavender motif throughout; the charming wallpaper that spread across the towering walls had delicate designs of flowers and fairies in all the soft purple color, while the smooth carpet was of an even paler hue. Fine and almost fragile furniture of a maple-like wood filled the room. She stood mesmerized while she looked over the four-poster bed embellished with a plush bedspread of white and lilac, swirled with flower detailing; at least a dozen cozy pillows layered on top of the dainty fabric. A vanity was placed near where she could spot various expensive brushes, combs and hairpieces. A blissful smile graced her full lips as she sat down on the attractive cushioned chair that stood in front and gazed into the mirror's reflection.

Meanwhile, Siraluei had watched the young girl grow ecstatic with the room. Her lips curled into a smile for her, yet questions stirred through the fae's mind. 'Why does the King want to keep her here? Is he developing feelings for the mortal? Or is he just planning revenge for nearly destroying him when she refused his offering of her dreams?' Either way, Siraluei knew all too well that Sarah had done something to the Goblin King. Even if he didn't love her now, he had loved her when she defied him. And something told her that he really did still have something for Sarah just for the sharp turn his behavior took when she was present.

"Do you have any questions?" the fae asked after she had stifled her thoughts.

Sarah kept her eyes on the mirror as she pursued to politely ask, "Are you a servant?"

Siraluei raised her eye brows, a little amused by the question. "Oh, well, more or less... Yes, I am. I assist guests of His Majesty," she explained before adding, "Female guests."

"Oh.." Sarah murmured, her face clearly strained by thinking --of the Goblin King.

The fae frowned as she glanced at the untouched tray of food that lay on one of the many impressive tables of the room. "Miss Sarah.. You really should eat something. It's quite into the morning now, you know."

But Sarah only stood up and walked to a large window, pulling back the grand material that made up the drapes to get a look out at the strange world she was in. She stayed like that for a half an hour, staring at the ever-changing Labyrinth before her eyes. Siraluei was right; the Underground sun was well out from behind the almost peaceful hill terrain in the distance. The sky was mostly a gentle blue yet, of course, a tinge of orange licked at the color, delivering an aspect of eeriness. It reminded Sarah of the long summer days that would laze through back home, the heavens a brownish-orange tint from the sun. She missed those days, for they also reminded her of her mother. The times that they would spend together when she was younger, talking and laughing. Yes, that was pleasant. But then the cold memories of her mother leaving her father for another man emerged. Sarah harshly bit her lip in anger, causing it to bleed. The pain was not felt, however. Neither were the wet rivulets that trailed down her pale cheek.

When she finally turned around, Siraluei was gone. She was thankful for she couldn't really find herself to talk at the moment. Slowly, she trudged over to the adjoining bathing room. Remarkably, there was working plumbing and not too much to her surprise, the room was huge. The smooth, fine pearl-toned tiling cold on her bare feet, she noted that the charming bath tub could fit a party of three and the cool marble counter that was affixed with two china sinks. Here, she found a large array of feminine products; no pads or tampons of course, but sweet-smelling shampoos, perfumes, lotions, et cetera.

Shrugging, Sarah decided to take a bath since she had not since her encounter with that fair-haired Jareth. After grabbing a bottle of what she thought was strawberry shampoo and a bar of matching soap, she prepared the bath tub, slipped off her robe and slid into the soothing water. There she lay with her memories of the previous night and with her shocking sense of care for the King. He was so cruel, but he had been tender with her. Yet, inevitably he had also been a little demanding and rough with her as well. One knew that that particular aspect was coming. And Sarah couldn't help herself from taking a liking to this. She knew she wanted more of him but what else? What else would this lead to? Girlish fantasies of him declaring his unbounded love for her was not likely. Jareth couldn't be that kind of man, could he? A brooding shadow cast over Sarah's hopeful thoughts.

"Why am I thinking about this? I don't have any feelings for him!" she scolded herself, convincing her mind that it was only some kind of lust. She certainly couldn't deny that he was completely handsome and had massive sex appeal.

After Sarah finished her bathing, she quickly found another plush white bathrobe to drape around her body and wrapped one of the many soft towels around her soaking hair, then draining out the tub and walking back into the bedroom. The sun was now fully up, she could see, and after finding a fine clock on the wall, she saw that it was close to eight. Biting her lip, she pulled open a drawer from what appeared to be a lingerie chest. Sure enough, there was underwear... but there were also some foreign-looking underclothes that looked familiar to what a woman in the 18th century back in her world would wear under a dress. She scowled, snatching a pair of panties and sliding them on under her robe while telling herself that she was never going to wear that 'crap.'

Slowly, she stepped over to her bed to notice that a dress was lying there. Not any ordinary dress, but a beautiful medieval chiffon empire-waist gown of the purest white. The trimming along the seaming was an icy blue braiding and the neckline ran almost off the shoulder while the sheer sleeves flowed appealingly down the arm. Sarah smiled appreciatively at the dress as she gently lifted it off the bed and held it to her body, quickly finding a mirror and examining it closely against her. It was utterly exquisite. The light material actually had an embedded soft, silver shimmer spread throughout, making it gleam in the golden sunlight of the room.

Though the dress was more than superb, Sarah couldn't help but wonder if Jareth had made it for her. Magic, obviously, had something to do with its enchanting qualities and although the time factor for its making seemed a bit stretched, couldn't he have had it simply plucked out of nowhere but in his mind? Or perhaps have a fae seamstress formulate the specifications from him into this dress? How he would have obtained her measurements was beyond her. However, this place wasn't all what it seemed.

After admiring the dress for a few more minutes, she walked back over to the bed, lay the garment back down and began to shed off her robe to try it on when Siraluei entered through the main doors. Sarah gasped at her sudden appearance, pulling the robe back on when the fae woman chuckled lightly.

"Oh, we're both female, right? There's no need to be shy. I'm here to help you." Siraluei smiled brightly, illuminating the fascinating violet of her eyes, while she opened a large chest of drawers and pulled out what seemed like some sort of corset. "His Majesty wants you to fit into our customs here in the Underground. He wishes of you to wear that dress today as he feels that you will be wanting to get out and explore about the castle."

Sarah began to have some nauseating feeling at the pit of her stomach after her eyes landed on the corset. "Is that what I think it is?" Her voice was shaky, knowing what the answer was.

Siraluei only beamed comfortingly as she lay down the undergarment. "Yes, but I assure you, this corset is a bit enchanted. And you'll see what I mean when we get you in it.."

Thirty minutes later, Sarah was sitting on her vanity chair completely in her angelic attire while she allowed Siraluei to brush out her somewhat damp hair. She couldn't believe how right the fae had been. Though, at first, when the corset was fitted on and she began to tighten up the strings, there was some pain, but somehow the material fit onto her waist like a second skin. And the great thing about it was that her figure was slimmed down even more and her breasts were delightfully lifted up to new heights. Now, she stood up and looked at herself in the mirror with a broad grin.

"You look perfect," Siraluei complimented before setting down the brush and straightening out her own dress. "Now, shall I show you around?"

"Sure," Sarah replied with enthusiasm, feeling giddy at being where she was.

Once outside from her bedroom and into the hall, Siraluei began to explain just how really enormous the castle really was. There were, indeed, nearly two dozen huge rooms that made up the structure. All of them were elaborately decorated in their own special way. As they walked on, they neared an opening in the hall where Sarah caught sight of a marvelous marble staircase that led up and down either way.

"Do you wish to go down, Miss?" inquired the fae.

Sarah shrugged. "What's all down there?"

"Well, the key rooms are the library, the dining room, kitchen, gallery, music room and throne room. But I believe His Majesty is receiving a visitor at the moment so perhaps we should enter into the gardens in the back?"

Upon hearing this, she agreed to descend to the lower part of the castle and exit out into the gardens. Yet, before they could make it to the large wooden doors in the rear of the foyer they had entered, the Goblin King himself strode in from what appeared to be the throne room with a somewhat irritated look on his face.

"Your Majesty," Siraluei curtsied while Sarah just stood there like a rock.

Her eyes were locked on the king, admiring him in his new change of clothes. He was now wearing something that shockingly resembled the attire he wore in the Escher room on that fateful night on which they had first met. She couldn't help herself from gawking for memories flooded her mind and, silently, she battled with herself not to think about them.

Just as Sarah's eyes were on him, Jareth's eyes were taking her in. She was absolutely ravishing; the dress hugged gracefully about her breasts and flowed out down the rest of her body while her raven hair lay naturally past her shoulders. He literally felt his heart increase its rate as he gazed at her. But, quickly he remembered himself and abruptly averted his eyes from her to Siraluei.

"Would you please leave us?"

The fae woman nodded and walked off with a faint smile touched upon her lips. When Jareth saw that she was gone, he turned his eyes back to Sarah's. "You look very lovely," he commented with sincerity. After all, what was the harm in offering the girl a compliment?

Tentatively, Sarah let herself become flattered by his words, "Thank you, and you look very se-- ... charming." She chewed her lip while her face flushed a little, surprised that she almost told the conceited fae that he was sexy.

A not too modest smirk tugged at Jareth's lips as he watched her. "Have you found everything well with your bedchambers?"

"Yes," she replied, composed for the first time since her seeing him. She was determined not to look a fool in front of this man. How could he ever really take her seriously? "The room is very beautiful. And the bathroom is great. I had no idea that you would have working plumbing here in the Underground." She had to laugh inwardly at her remark, aware that it would stump the King's arrogance.

And, indeed, Jareth scowled disapprovingly at her comment. "My customs may seem a bit obsolete to you but, I can assure you, we're not _that _backward."

Sarah only cocked an eye brow. She loved to irk him a little. "What was wrong earlier?" she suddenly asked.

Jareth crossed his arms and leaned against a richly-papered wall. "What do you mean?" He felt a little caught off-guard by her question. Why did she care?

"You seemed a little angry about something."

"It's nothing," he lied. She wouldn't understand about the affairs of the kingdom anyhow.

Sarah frowned and rolled her eyes, deciding to drop it for the time being. "So, are you finished fulfilling your.. duties?"

The Goblin King nodded reluctantly. "Actually, for the moment, yes."

A coy smile came to the girl's face. "Then, will you show me around the gardens?" She didn't quite know why, but she found an irresistible urge to spend more time with Jareth and she couldn't let it pass her by.

Jareth was taken aback by her offer. She wanted to spend time with _him_?

He must have unknowingly smiled at the thought, because he felt Sarah's small hand grasp his and lead him out of his castle doors into the blooming gardens. His original plans weren't quite working out like he had imagined. Of course, her wanting to be with him was right, but that feeling wasn't supposed to arise in himself as well.

He couldn't afford to be as vulnerable as he had before or else there would be no revenge.

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	5. Chapter 4 Misconceptions

Chapter 4 is up (as if you haven't already figured that out) and I can truly say that it was a hell of a chapter to write. Not much of a reason why, because it's mostly just laziness. Anyway, I finally figured where this thing is gonna go, but I won't tell you all that. Muhaha. I hope you all thoroughly enjoy this one even though it's mild. Yeah, still no intimate relations. But soon, my friends.. soon.

Please review guys because I really, really appreciate it. Feedback is this story's savior. (did that make sense??)

- Monica, blackmajick7

Disclaimer: Jareth and Sarah belong to Jim Henson. Everyone with a name that you're gonna be like 'what the!?' to is all _mine_.

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**CHAPTER FOUR**

Splendid, colorful and unique flowers of every shade flung out from amongst the shrubs and trees that crowded the front entrance of the gardens. Strange butterflies and other pleasant-looking insects thrived here, living off the sweet nectar that was available throughout. Sarah felt truly at solace in this place, her small hand wrapped around Jareth's larger, gloved one. As they walked down a shaded path of magnolia trees, ever so slowly and unconsciously, her fingers began to twine with his and her eyes flicked over to his face, marveling at his appearance. She couldn't believe how good he looked, and how physically near he was but how intangible he felt. At this thought, she pulled her eyes away and back to their beautiful surroundings.

While Sarah looked away from him, Jareth let his sight wonder to her. He had felt her looking rather conspicuously at him yet he couldn't quite read her thoughts. Oh, he knew he could if he took the least bit of effort, but somehow he felt it wrong to do it. He let his fingers remain entwined with the girl's, almost like lovers would. Now, deep in his mind, he knew something was developing between them already, and he knew he couldn't let his feelings for her surpass what they had to. As long as he kept his emotions out of reach, he wouldn't have anything to worry about.

"It's all so wonderful here," Sarah murmured, a small smile forming on her lips. She let her hand fall from Jareth's and made her way past a path of what looked like crate myrtle trees to a kind of courtyard where tons of extraordinary blossoms resided. Neon greens with black speckles, bright oranges with blue ridges, bold pinks with red hints, and so on glinted in the sunshine. The structure of the flowers seemed to be similar to that of tiger lilies and orchids yet there was something odd about their presence, other than their color, that clearly shown that they were from another world.

Turning away from the flowers, Sarah saw Jareth standing by one of the crate myrtles, his arms folded and a far away look on his face. "What's up?" she asked before advancing to him, feeling dauntless again. A breeze picked up in the air, softly fluttering her white gown about her ankles, revealing the silk embroidered flats that dawned on her feet.

Jareth immediately snapped from his thinking, allowing his eyes to pierce into Sarah, who was literally looking like an angel when she stopped a couple feet from him. "Nothing," he said stiffly in his naturally cruel tone.

Sarah pursed her lips at his voice and crossed her arms. Her face read pure frustration. "Why are you doing that again? Just communicate a little with me."

"Why are you so determined to meddle with me so?" the fae threw back, letting his arms fall down to his sides.

"I just want to talk. What's been bothering you? Ever since.." her words trailed off, suddenly growing uncomfortable. "Well, you know.."

Jareth raised a finely arched eye brow with a smirk playing up on his mouth. "Well, Sarah, there is nothing up that would be anything of your interest...to a certain extent, of course."

The mortal kept her eyes on him, obviously not satisfied. "What makes you think I wouldn't be interested?"

"It is of my affair, part of my duties as king, and you would not really understand," came the curt reply. If Sarah had checked herself enough to observe his expression, she would have spotted a hint of amusement. Instead, she indulged on her impulses.

"Despite what you think, I'm not an idiot. Though, I do respect your desire for privacy, you don't have you act like such an ass about it," she snapped in the Goblin King's face, her pretty face contorted in exasperation.

Jareth simply shrugged, "I suppose that is my way." Then he let one of his impish grins appear, which in turn, made Sarah throw up her arms in defeat.

"Alright, whatever. I'm gonna just drop it, okay?" The mortal didn't wait for a reply, retaining her dignity enough to walk ladylike back up the crate myrtle path. However, she kept her pace at a slow enough rate so that the king could catch up, even though she was trying not to make it seem that way as she lingered a while to examine some of the radiant pink flowers that hung over from the trees.

The pair was silent then for a long while. Sarah thought that Jareth would mention something about having to return to his responsibilities yet when they reached the main stone walk that led back to the castle, he turned to make his way further down the path. She had to fight a smile as she followed by his side; though still somewhat annoyed by his aloofness, she yearned to be in his company more. For a moment, she contemplated this thought. Perhaps he was placing some kind of spell over her? It was very possible; he was the kind of snake that would do a thing like that. But why? She sulked while pondering the possible motives that he may have before shaking the thoughts away to pay attention to where she was walking. She had nearly stepped into a hedge.

Large oak trees began to loom overhead, casting great and almost foreboding shadows against the soft, frail grass blades on the ground. Numerous openings in the path stirred curiosity for the girl and she glanced at the king. "Can we go off in one of these walks?"

"Yes, I was waiting for you to propose it," returned the matter-of-fact reply.

Soon, they were down a well-wooded trail and Sarah could see a sunlit area a few hundred yards off. As they made their way closer, she realized that it was a large courtyard, decorated with numerous arrangements of flowers, bushes, and trees. Strange, ornate stone statues were placed in various areas in the open, immediately captivating Sarah's attention. Slowly, she stepped her way over to a figure of what appeared to be a lean, wispy fae woman posed in a walking position with her head tilted downward. Every slight detail was carved into the dark stone, from the beautiful and mystifying face that was framed by naturally long, thick hair to the resplendent and jeweled sheer dress that clung to the every subtle curve of her body. When Sarah drew more near, she could see that the statue's mouth was smiling in the faintest and elfin way, unexplainablely making her appear as if she were taunting the mortal.

"Who is this.." whispered Sarah more-so to herself, never pulling her eyes away.

"That is Cermei.. My mother," Jareth said dryly right from behind, which caused her to become startled. She turned about, noticing that he was farther away than she originally thought. She smiled even though he had a look of indifference on his face.

"She's so attractive. I see where you get your good looks," she offered and twisted her head back to the statue, which was mounted on a small slab of stone and stood over Sarah's height, matching that of the Goblin King's.

Though appreciating the compliment inside, Jareth frowned because of the thought of his mother. She had left him when he was 13. His father, Diabhidh, had been killed long ago in the battles between the fae and the trolls from the mountains in the northern Underground. Jareth never knew him; he had only been an infant when he was killed. (The battles were long since over; it had been 378 years. At the present time, the rather daft trolls lurked in the remote mountains and remained there, having been defeated devastatingly by the fae and not wishing to decrease their diminishing numbers.)

Cermei had stayed in the castle, trying to cope with the responsibilities of being the new reigning Queen of the Goblins, deal with her husband's death, and yet still care for her guiltless infant son. She juggled with her duties and personal life for 12 years before apparently giving up. She disappeared, no traces left behind, leaving Jareth to take on the position of Goblin King with only just having barely reached his teen years. Yet, the fae were not like humans in the Aboveground. They could decipher issues much more speedily, being naturally wiser than any other creature. When Jareth came to be king, he had already the essential skills of leadership, decision-making, perceptiveness, and responsibility to run a kingdom. Though, back then, he had yet to perfect his swordsmanship, that had been quickly improved to a point that he could defeat his best soldiers.

The single flaw that Jareth now still conveyed was his cruel and uncaring nature. This, it had seemed to him, could not be changed. He felt that he could never give his whole to anyone because of the possibility of that person throwing it back in his face. This was his belief during his life, until Sarah had slipped out of the dubious shadows and into his heart. And when he had offered the mortal her dreams, his soul, she had pulled away, only thinking of her stepbrother. Although it was expected, especially from the kind person that Sarah was, Jareth experienced a clutching heartache that he had never known since his mother abandoned him so long ago. This was why revenge slipped into his mind. Yet, it was all changing now, as he looked upon Sarah's smiling face as she dashed off to an elaborate marble fountain.

His original plans had been to send her back, after she realized that she loved him or at least cared for him deeply. He felt that, this time, she would have no obstacles in the path of what she desired. It was a risk, a very great risk. What if she didn't develop anything for him at all while he, in the meantime, couldn't keep his feelings at bay? She would only defy him again. But, he had ignored this slight diversion and came to her. And she had willingly accepted. Now that they were up to this point, Jareth was unsure of what she felt and increasingly becoming irritated by his feelings roused by her presence.

Silently, Jareth glanced at the statue of Cermei for a second before turning to the direction where Sarah was still admiring the fountain. It was a sort of three-tier ensemble with foreign inscriptions and strange carvings of animals and plants along the entire dark marble stone. At the very top of the highest dish, a baroque yet life-like statue of a bird sat perched with its wings spread out as if to take flight. As Sarah squinted, as it must have been at least 12 feet in the air, she could see that the bird was none other than an owl. You could have taken a swim in the fountain's lowest and largest level which had striking water lilies and other aquatic vegetation purposely and perfectly arranged for adding beauty. The sparkling, crystal water that flowed out from the tiers glimmered in the bedazzled mortal's eyes and she was not aware when Jareth had come up from behind her once again.

"No, not again!" he exclaimed without notice, causing Sarah to jump. "Those blasted fairies are back in my gardens!"

"What.." the girl began to ask disbelievingly until she caught the shimmering flash flick past the fountain and on its way to a substantial bush brimming with violet flowers. She grinned widely at the appearance of the little creature but kept her distance as she recalled her last acquaintance with one of its kind.

"I distinctly recollect my orders to Hogwart to get rid of those little fiends," grumbled Jareth, disgust written all over his face as he watched a couple more of the fairies fly past to the same bush. "They are nothing but the worst of nuisances in all of the Underground."

Sarah turned to the discontented fae, hearing a particular and intentionally miss-pronounced name that immediately aroused her attention. "Hoggle? Where is he?"

Jareth sighed, crossing his long arms and inwardly cursing himself for bringing up the little dwarf's name. "Oh, he's off somewhere outside the labyrinth, I suppose." He said this in a nonchalant tone, yet he looked sternly at the mortal as if warning her not to say anymore of the matter.

Of course, Sarah did not pay heed to the threat. "Oh, Jareth, please let me see him! I know you can just pop him over here and don't act as if you can't."

The fae's frown deepened more. "He is working on the plants at entrance to the labyrinth for the moment. I am not going to interrupt his obligations and waste my magic just to let you two engage in nonsensical chit-chat."

Sarah glowered, straightening her arms at her sides, appearing truly pissed off.

Closing his eyes briefly, he cooperated with his defeat. "Perhaps, later, I will allow Hogwart to come to the castle.. He will have to come back here to spray those damned fairies anyhow..."

"It's Hoggle," Sarah gently corrected and before he knew it, Jareth was surrounded by Sarah's dainty arms. A warm smile glowed on her face, with the realization that she would see Hoggle soon. And, obviously, she knew that she would also see Ludo, Sir Didymus and his noble steed, Ambrosius, as well in one way or another.

As she pulled away from the embrace, Sarah felt her heart race, locking eyes with the fair-haired Goblin King. The incredible yen to kiss him floated through her mind but she had already stepped away and soon, they were both walking back down the path that led to the main walk.

Throughout the entire time back to the castle, Jareth contemplated inviting Sarah to have dinner with him. He found himself wondering how to ask, not being able to put the words together. Before the mortal, he had never had this trouble. Women of nobility threw themselves at him and he simply had to say a time and it was a "date." Sarah was different, in the most obvious ways, and it made him cringe to treat her like the other women that had shared his bed in the past. And now, just to see how he separated her from the rest, he could see that he was slipping all too fast. Yet he quickly assured himself that he could treat the dinner as a sort of obligation, not pleasure.

Upon reaching the rear of the castle, the massive double doors opened swiftly with unseen magic. Jareth caught Sarah's hand with suaveness and held its delicateness in his, having her meet his eyes.

"If you would not mind, I would like to ask you to have dinner with me tonight Sarah," he asked with a gentlemanly mentality of his own.

The mortal smiled slyly, "Why not?"

She then allowed her hand to be caressed by a kiss from the king's lips, noting the devilish look in his blue mismatched eyes.

"Is seven appropriate?"

Sarah only nodded, watching as he let go of her fingers and nodded in return with a grin, turning towards the open doorway to the throne room. And as she turned towards the decorated staircase, she heard familiar goblin noises such as hysterical laughs and loud yawping.

She only hoped that the goblins wouldn't be in the dining room.

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Review and tell all your buddies about meh 'cause I like it!!


	6. Chapter 5 Anticipation

Hey everyone! I was _late_ on this chapter and I am sorry. Other matters called to my attention and I never really had the chance to work on the story. But, here it is. I don't know if you were anticipating it (note chapter title ::giggle::) but you're getting it anyway. Ha. This one is mild, no language whatsoever. So I guess it is PG. I'll go ahead and tell you that it isn't covering the little dinner yet. That's the _next_ chapter of which I will really try to complete within a week or so. Well, I hope you enjoy and please don't forget to review.

- Monica, blackmajick7

Disclaimer: Jareth and Sarah belong to Jim Henson. Everyone else is my creation.

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**CHAPTER FIVE**

Once Sarah ascended the stairs up to the correct hall, she found that Siraluei was standing there waiting for her. The fae smiled warmly while approaching.

"I felt that you may need to be shown back to your chambers because I knew that it would be dreadfully difficult for you to find it again," Siraluei said to the mortal. "This castle is just so colossal."

Sarah nodded in agreement with a knowing grin. "Yes, thank you. I didn't really think about that." She joined the fae and they began to make their way.

As the two walked down the long hall, Sarah noted how many doors there were that ran down for what appeared to be endlessly. "There are so many rooms! Just how many visitors does the king receive?" she asked with perplexity.

Siraluei chucked lightly. "Not all of these doors lead to bedrooms. Many just lead sitting rooms and the like. But, things are not always what they seem in the Underground. Others are a kind of passage to other realms and regions. However, those particular doors are locked shut without the use of a key. There is no way in."

Sarah cocked her eye brows and turned her head to the fae woman, still keeping pace. "I'm guessing only the king can enter through those doors?"

"Your guess is correct," Siraluei replied. "Anybody else can try all they want. They will not budge."

Just then, the sounds of senseless laughter and talking filled the air as a couple of small goblins scampered about farther up the hallway. It was the first time Sarah had seen any goblins since arriving and she became amused at their expense. Well, before they came near anyhow. They began to run and jump about like idiots in front of the women's feet, almost causing Sarah to trip over her long gown.

"Shoo, be off and play somewhere else!" Siraluei scolded, lifting her own green dress slightly to avoid falling down.

The two goblins giggled, scurrying around once more and then running past in the opposite direction of where the two women were heading.

Siraluei sighed and shook her head, smoothing her dress out. "The king really must do something about those goblins. They cause a muck everywhere in the castle," she said matter-of-factly when they began to walk again. Sarah could only laugh inwardly although she was slightly disarrayed by their mischief as well.

Once they finally approached to the right door, Siraluei looked to Sarah. "Do you wish to have anything brought to you? You did not eat breakfast earlier."

Pondering the thought for just a second, Sarah shrugged. "I guess I could eat something." Potato chips came to mind, but she figured that the Underground wouldn't supply these. She decided for the alternative, healthier choice. "Could some fruit be brought up?"

Siraluei smiled while nodding and turned to walk back down the hall. Somewhat slowly, Sarah placed her hand on the onyx-coloured doorknob and twisted, opening the polished mahogany door to be yet again awed by the lavender beauty of her room. Silently, she stepped in and closed the door, allowing the bright, sun-lit glow to envelope her in its tenderness. A gentle smile placed upon her lips, she almost skipped to her soft bed and threw herself down on her stomach, mildly disregarding her apparel. There she lay, eyes closed, for twenty minutes, not really thinking about anything and pretending that all was right with everything; that there was nothing to worry about, nothing to suspect, and nothing to look forward to save for just being where she was and what she was going to do there.

A light knock came on the massive door and Sarah unclosed her eyes. "Come in," she called and an unfamiliar young fae woman entered with a tray in her hands.

Sarah watched as the fae smiled slightly after setting down tray on a nearby table. She was even taller than Siraluei was, with even paler skin and blond hair that was braided intricately, reaching down past her back to her hips. Her eyes, with Sarah sitting at least fifteen feet away, shone out a piercing emerald green that seemed to almost mock the mortal.

"I hope that the fruit will be to your liking," the fae offered. "It is similar to that of your world's but it is perhaps a touch sweeter."

Sarah only nodded in return, feeling somewhat tense with her presence. The fae smiled again as if to mock and made her way out, quietly closing the door behind her.

"What is with the fae?" the mortal asked aloud, tiredly picking herself up from the comfortable bed and walking over to the table.

Later...

Jareth sat at his throne, bored with himself and hardly listening to the voice of his friend, Lord Cardoc, as he tapped his riding crop on his propped boot-clad foot. The silly goblins were still causing a racket in the room and he wondered if Cardoc realized that he could barely be heard over their din. The issues in the Underground were not severe or even noteworthy as nothing new in particular had happened since Sarah had been the first to defeat the Goblin King since he inherited the throne. As touched on before, trolls never bothered the kingdom; they were now wary of the king. No other creature was stupid enough to meddle with the ruler; they would have to solve the labyrinth after all. Except, perhaps, other select fae whose power could be challenging. This had yet to happen.

"Lord Edan sent his notice of his visiting the castle tomorrow at noon," the bronze-haired Cardoc read off a scroll, equally looking as bored as Jareth appeared. He was leaning against a wall near the throne, looking quite laid-back in his surroundings with the goblins roaming about everywhere. There were similarities in appearance between he and the king that were noticeable as they wore the same style of clothing (though Cardoc's not as flashy) and their clean and sharp good-looks. Yet Cardoc had more of a burly build (still thin, mind you), shorter hair that reached to his shoulders, deep brown eyes, and a different look of the face. Though very handsome indeed, he still could not compete with the king's allure.

Jareth scowled in distaste in to the news that Cardoc shared, closing his eyes and feeling a bit of a headache coming on. Lord Edan was not one he wished to see. There was really no particular reason except that Jareth never really trusted the ebony-haired fae. Edan acted and seemed normal enough yet there was a dark, underlying deviousness about him that the king could always pick out. And it had always been there. Jareth had so many times wished to be rid of the fae in the occasional and sometimes periodic balls and meetings between the lords and ladies, yet he could not because he had no sufficient reason for doing so. Also, Lord Edan had been around longer than Jareth, by some 250 years; he had served Jareth's father, Diabhidh. That made him, along with a couple more fae, sort of higher nobility than the rest of the lords and ladies. Although Jareth was the Goblin King and could do as he wished, he could not simply denounce Lord Edan without the proper grounds as he might gain a certain mistrust of the fellow fae.

Cardoc began to step away from the wall as his eyes scanned the scroll. "Lady Silvana is to be arriving sometime in the afternoon toda--" He was cut off abruptly when a particularly dense goblin accidentally bumped into his backside, nearly knocking him down.

Jareth disregarded the incident and he looked to the now rather annoyed fae. "Silvana? Today? What ever does _she_ want?" The last bit was said in sarcasm for he knew what Silvana wanted. After all, he had shared a sort of exclusive relationship with the ravishing though shifty fae before Sarah had captured the king's fancy.

"Nevermind the rest, Cardoc. I'll read it at a later time," Jareth said suddenly, sitting up in the oversized marble throne. His thoughts had swiftly veered to Sarah and he had the impulsive urge to produce a crystal in which to see what she was doing at the moment.

Lord Cardoc, simply nodding, understood Jareth very well. They had been the best of friends since before Jareth had undertaken the title of king. Cardoc, being a little older, always thought the king as his younger brother. When Jareth admitted he really needed someone to talk to (which was unusual and infrequent because of his pride and ego) he had talked to Cardoc. The king confided with him about his thoughts at times and had even talked of Sarah. But, of course, only of his vengeful plan and nothing about his feelings for the girl though it was a bit obvious to Cardoc.

After Cardoc bowed with knowing smile to his king and left the throne room to go about his other duties, Jareth sighed with defeat and laid his right hand out, palm up with outstretched slender fingers, and conceived a crystal. There he saw the raven-haired mortal sitting at her vanity, in all her sheer effulgence and fairness, staring towards the mirror but more-so past it than actually into it. She was in a reverie, as Jareth could observe, and she didn't seem as if she was going to snap out of it anytime soon. The king drew the crystal more near, his vision eagerly devouring her image. Her green eyes conveyed a mixture of emotions, all of which Jareth couldn't read as they were somewhat foreign to him. Yet he _could_ see a tad of confusion. He was curious as to what she was thinking and held himself off at trying to read her thoughts for he already felt as if her privacy was being deprived by his watching her.

The Goblin King pondered if she was happy in the castle, but quickly dismissed the thought as she had only just arrived. She would have to settle into the Underground and its customs. This was only the beginning and there was much more time to get her to love her new world and realize that she too loved the king.

With this lingering in his mind, Jareth flung the crystal, shattering it against wall near some goblins, startling them in fright. Slowly, slouched back into his throne, closed his eyes, and covered them with a gloved hand in an effort to clear his mind of the sudden disgust he felt of his deceitful plan.

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Sarah looked fixedly at the mirror as she sat on the vanity chair. She wasn't scrutinizing her visage, however. She was lost in her thoughts again, staring blindly in the dark, consumed in the shadows. That was what she felt and saw because she was confused, curious and content all at once. She found that she really liked it here, and she knew she would be even happier when she met with her friends Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus again. But what then? She speculated on how she would act when she met with the king later that day.

_What does he want?_ she asked herself for the sixth time after she had gotten to her room. Jareth was so hard to read and it was even tougher for her as she had never been through the certain kind of relationship she was mixed in now. Then again, this drew Sarah closer as he intrigued her.

Breaking her eyes slightly away from the mirror, Sarah focused them to a wall with a very unusual, crystal-like clock. It was half past 3, which was quite logical as she had taken a long nap after eating. Her eyes fell back to the mirror, this time looking at her reflection. Seeing the white, pretty dress on her, she quickly felt stifled in the vestment and had the faint longing for a pair of jeans.

Just then, a knock came at the door and after the mortal proclaimed her consent, Siraluei entered into the chambers, a lavish gown gently hanging from her arms. Sarah's eyes trained on the clothing, she watched as it was brought before her onto the bed.

"What is that for?" she asked dumbfounded, now looking at the taller fae's face, which was grinning.

"For tonight, of course!" Siraluei exclaimed, placing her hands on her narrow hips. She, in fact, was wearing a different dress of a soft lilac with a sort of Chantilly lace that trimmed the three-quarter-length sleeves and long bottom hem in a lovely manner. Her feet were decorated by silk slippers, much like what Sarah wore. The color corresponded prettily with her violet eyes and matched Sarah's bedroom.

Sarah's eyes drifted back to the gown, not being able to disguise the bit of excitement that coursed through her. "It was made for you earlier this noon," she heard the fae mention. "It is made of the silks of the ancient elves from the Western Hills. The nobility of the Underground often wears this material for it is very rich but very lightweight."

The gown was very extravagant, indeed. The silk was a deep, dark midnight blue that withheld a fine glint of shine. Unlike the near innocent white dress Sarah was wearing now, this garment had a tight bodice with a low-cut scooped neckline that ran off the shoulders quite a bit. The sleeves were long but slightly loose and belled. A little below the hip area, the silk puffed out softly and looked as if some sort of pannier should be worn underneath to enhance the width of the dress. It was utterly exquisite but Sarah couldn't see how she could possibly wear it while not looking like a fool. She didn't believe she had the proper shape to fit the gown and she voiced her thoughts to Siraluei, who only shook her head in disagreement.

"Nonsense! You have the curves of a woman and you cannot escape that," the fae said while disappearing into one of the adjoining closets and reappearing with a kind of petticoat and a number of underskirts. "I do not know about your world but here, though young, you are a woman yet."

Sarah sighed at the sight of all the underclothing she would have to bear under her dress while she attempted to talk to the king intelligently without suffocating.

After some time spent talking with Siraluei, the two finally got started in preparing Sarah for dinner. It was half past 4 when she took another bath and shampooed her hair. Then, as soon as she came out, the fae went to work with drying and styling her hair into a complicated up-do held in place with a couple ebony combs, a few wisps of raven purposely left out to hang. Only a little mascara, shadow, and blush were applied as the mortal was already naturally radiant. Though Sarah disliked the layers of undergarments that Siraluei helped her into, she was delightfully surprised at how comfortable they were still. With a different corset tugged on than before, unfortunately, she found this one to be quite a bit too snug and every time she breathed a little more than lightly, she nearly choked on her breath.

"Does this _thing_ need to be so tight," she helplessly carped, a hand placed on her severely squiched stomach.

Siraluei, presently, was carrying the gown to her. "It does if you wish to fit into the dress."

With that, the fae slipped the mystical evening garb over Sarah's head, careful not to mar the intricate hairstyle and makeup. After she smoothed down the gown out over the skirts, Sarah waited as the the long row of tiny, neat buttons was worked up on her back. Anticipation caused her heart to flutter constantly as she spotted the clock and saw it was a quarter past 6. Before when she was taking her bath, she thought about what she would say or do in front of Jareth, and had decided to just act natural. This was rather difficult, however, when the man was who he was and she was so attracted to him the manner she was. And, indeed, she had thoughts of what the king would perhaps try that evening. After all, what sane girl wouldn't?

Once the dress was fastened, Siraluei left the room briefly to another closet and came out with a pair of matching midnight blue, strappy heels. As Sarah examined them more closely, she saw that they were very delicate with jewelling of which was without a doubt genuine. When she sat down and allowed Siraluei to put them on, the strapping was configured in an unusual, elaborate way and tied taut. Standing up, the pretty shoes were concealed underneath the long gown yet she was still all the more proud to wear them.

"You are very stunning, Miss Sarah," Siraluei affirmed with a pleased grin and the mortal stepped to one of the full-length mirrors to view herself. The dress fit nicely in every area it should have, enhancing her figure and making her look regal in every aspect.

Sarah smiled widely, forgetting the now slight discomfort of the corset, setting her mind on impressing the king and causing his own heart to race. Without notice, Siraluei came from behind her with a pair of crystal earrings. The fae placed them on her exposed ears and the two admired the faceted, lustrous beauty that they created in the light.

"I don't see how His Majesty will keep himself composed this evening," Siraluei said with a smirk.

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Please review. =)


	7. Chapter 6 Emotional Walls

Ah, such a long hiatus. But I have good reason. My file got deleted somehow on my computer this past Sunday so I had to rewrite the damned thing again. I really hate technology. It messes with me so bad. I only hope that I can write another chapter in less than two weeks. Something always interferes with my writing. But, here it is for you. It's rated PG-13.. yes, my plans have changed yet again. Hope you enjoy nevertheless. Please review afterwards.

- Monica, blackmajick7

Disclaimer: Jareth and Sarah belong to Jim Henson. Everyone else is my creation.

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**CHAPTER SIX**

The Goblin King sat in silence at the unusually long dining room table, awaiting the mortal's arrival. His eyes were focused on anything in particular; they gazed off with a sort of nebulous vision. As there had been nothing that needed his attention (as mentioned before, the Underground didn't experience much action), Jareth had been helplessly permitted to let his thoughts become dominated by Sarah.

The candlelight of the large dining hall flickered as Jareth lifted his eyes to a high, rich wood-paneled wall where an archaic grandfather clock was placed against. It was a quarter till seven. With this new realization, he found himself greatly looking forward to Sarah's appearance. He did not quite have the knowledge of what she would be wearing, though he did choose the specific kind of fine material of which was to be used for the gown. Whatever it was that she should have on, Jareth only hoped that it wouldn't arouse him too badly as he wanted to capture the mortal's affections in a less superficial sense. Having sexual relations would perhaps do more confusing than wooing. After all, he couldn't find it the correct decision to just traipse her off to his bed chambers. It wasn't all too honorable.

Jareth, himself, was again looking quite handsome. He was not adorned in his usual breeches and painter's shirt, however. In its stead, he was wearing black, loose dress pants, a scarlet, button-up dress shirt and a well-tailored black jacket. The first few shiny buttons of the shirt were left undone down to where the met the hem of a tight, black vest that hugged nicely at his lean torso. He wore no gloves and was not boot-clad, but wore fine dress shoes. Still, his hair was styled in its natural, spiky fashion and the majestic medallion that he always wore hung at its place about his neck, catching every fraction of light possible. The inhuman and regal allure was yet still conveyed in the king, impossibly attractive in every sense.

With his right hand straightening out the sleeve of his jacket, Jareth let his eyes roam about the great room. It was inconceivably large and perhaps it had not been the good idea to use candles as the source of light yet there were so many that the area was well lit, at least in the half of the room. The walls towered above, decorative hunter green draping and paintings embellishing the wood paneling. Behind the King's head of the table, a magnificent window of stained glass gleamed dimly in the light, its designs consisting of old landscapes of the Underground. Opposite from where Jareth sat leaning back in his imperial chair was a grand, light marble fireplace covered in fae markings and symbols.

Jareth slightly averted his mismatched eyes towards the main wide entryway into the room and he saw Sarah standing there, in all of her dark, celestial effulgence. From where he could see, she was staring back at him, her hands clasped in front of her. She began to step nearer, and Jareth promptly stood up and advanced to her with a casual gait with a sly grin on his lips as he achieved better sight of her.

It would be an understatement to say that the Goblin King was very much taken aback by the mortal's visage once he was standing face to face with her. Unfortunately for his previous oath of celibacy, the midnight blue dress fit excellently and quite provocatively on her beautiful frame. The bodice clung about her waist and breasts, exposing just enough cleavage. He noted how pleasingly the hem scooped low to meet at the point of her shoulders, revealing the creamy skin above her breasts. The profuse number of skirts flowed out from beneath the fine blue silk, only lengthening her height while the shoes that were hidden were probably adding even more to that aspect as Jareth could see that she was nearly as tall as he. Her raven hair was woven in a most elaborate style, held in place by ebony jeweled combs while a couple stray, soft strands hung loosely by her cheek. Glowing green eyes looked tenderly and somewhat shyly back at his own.

"Good evening, Sarah," rolled from Jareth's tongue smoothly as he slightly bent down, holding his hand to her.

Sarah licked her bottom lip unconsciously and lifted her own small hand to his. The mere contact of his skin on hers made her shiver. He looked astoundingly attractive, although not in his usual flamboyant garb. Admiringly, she couldn't help but to gaze at how nice the whole stylish and dark-toned ensemble fit on his svelte body. The crimson tone of the shirt looked fabulous on his fair skin and a smile began to form its way to her lips when she saw how he had left a good part of it unbuttoned. The golden glint of the enigmatic amulet caught her eye from his bare chest and a sudden thought striked her. What exactly did that symbol mean? Was it some sort of emblem that all fae kings bore or was it just a simple ornament to coordinate with his ostentatious apparel? Whatever it was, Sarah didn't realize that her hand was still in Jareth's until she finally pulled her vision back to his face, which was very bewitching indeed. His fair locks hung over his eyes, shadowing his face slightly though the smirk placed on his lips was unmistakable.

"You are simply stunning," he offered, bringing her hand to his lips. There he left a warm kiss at her knuckles, electrifying her susceptive senses.

Sarah fought madly with the inevitable hot blush that crept onto her cheeks with no avail. Inside, she reviled herself for she was inclined to at least feint the guise of a mature woman. As Jareth slowly lowered her hand down, she let her eyes remain on his. She faintly felt him let go of her hand and he offered his arm for her to join him. Before she knew it, they both were walking to the far end of the lengthy, well-carved table. There must have been thirty cushioned chairs lined up that could be filled but only two place settings were there - one for the Goblin King and one for the mortal.

Upon finally making it to the table, Jareth stepped over to the pretty chair at her place and pulled it out for her, which was only a natural gesture. Yet Sarah felt herself become giddy at the thought of a king pulling out a chair for _her_. A chuckle escaped her throat as Jareth stood there, waiting for her.

"What's funny?" he asked, puzzled. His ignorance and the expression on his face only made the girl laugh harder as she covered her mouth and turned away in an effort to calm herself. Jareth looked at her stupidly and let go of the chair, crossing his arms with agitation. Just what in the Underground did she find so amusing?

Once Sarah's laughs died down, she faced him again, her cheeks still flushed and eyes filled with mirth. One could not help from smiling in return at this and Jareth was no exception. For a minute, the two stood where they were, smiling at each other and forgetting what they had been doing. Then Jareth tore his eyes away reluctantly and shook his head, setting his hands on the head of the chair again.

"Are you going to join me or are you going to just stand there the whole evening?" he teased mildly, raising an eye brow.

Sarah raised her chin a bit and stood in front of the pulled out chair, then allowing Jareth to gently push it in as she smoothed the seat of the gown and sat down. She watched as the king settled down into his own somewhat lordlier chair (similar to the looks of a throne) but quickly pulled her eyes away to the table when he glanced at her. She began to examine the valuable, fragile crystal wine and water glasses and the polished silverware. No plates were set as of yet and an opaline cloth napkin lay in its place in a clean fold.

"These are very beautiful," the mortal commented, bringing her fingers over to touch the unique gold-inlayed crystal. "Where do they come from?"

Just as soon as she asked her question, a nicely dressed fae woman glided in seemingly out of nowhere with a couple of salad plates and set them before the two. As she smiled, curtseyed and began to leave, a striking male fae stepped forward with an ewer of water. Carefully, the water glasses were filled and the fae bowed before leaving. Sarah let her eyes fall on the unusually delicious-looking mixture of greens on the fine crystal-like plate and after stealing a glimpse at Jareth's actions, she slowly placed her napkin properly over her lap and picked up what she believed to be a salad fork.

"The crystal comes from the elves of the Western Hills," the king said while they ate. "They tend to specialize in creating and designing exquisite fabrics, jewelry, and dinnerware among other things. Much of the furniture in my castle was carved by the skillful hands of the elves. Their skills are phenomenal."

After some minutes of silence, Sarah rested down her fork and lifted her water glass to her lips, looking at Jareth as she spoke, "It seems to be all very peaceful here. You do not have any enemies?" It was a quite logical observation to the mortal that the Goblin King must have _some_ foes. He appeared to be a bit of a tyrant.

"No, but it would be pleasant to have some excitement here," Jareth replied dryly as he set down his own fork and wiped off his mouth with his napkin. Then he looked at her with a faint hint of a growing curl at his lips. "I believe you'll aid me in that issue, however."

The remark was not so much suggestive as it was merely just teasing. Sarah scoffed at it nevertheless and retaliated, "How do you suppose I will bring excitement to the Underground? I'm only one person." After it escaped her lips, she shortly became aware that what she said was fully ironic. Her eyes instinctively averted to her plate.

Jareth cocked an eye brow as if to say, 'Are you kidding?' But he kept his mouth closed and slightly set, knowing that voicing the past would not be for the better. Thankfully, the fae woman from earlier came into the dining hall to collect the salad plates. While she was leaving, like before, the male fae appeared with two bone china plates in his hands that held the main course. Sarah's eyes widened at the meticulously-prepared seasoned fillet of beef and baby potatoes. Decorative small flowers were placed prettily upon the rim of the dish along with some sort of unusual sprig of vegetable that Sarah wasn't sure was edible.

As she looked upon the food, the servant evidently produced a silver flagon out of nowhere and poured a deep purple liquid into the wine glasses. She nearly mistook it for grape juice, of which she regarded with a terrible dislike. Her mind also began to come upon the thought that the king perhaps didn't wish to intoxicate her with real wine so therefore, she turned her eyes to him on reflex.

Undoubtedly reading her thoughts as he caught her eyes, Jareth informed her. "It is a type of wine, here from the Underground. Very rare and very sweet. It's nothing at all like your world's wine."

And indeed, it wasn't. As Sarah let the cool liquid run down her throat with the saporous beef, she could distinctly tell it apart from the little wine that she had sampled (and not liked) in the past. There was an intense nectarous flavor interlaced with berries and something else exotic. It was very light, which she appreciated greatly, and found herself accepting more when the fae servant came back with the flagon.

"I would be mindful not to consume too much of the wine," Jareth advised, knowing very well that she would drink herself into a stupor if she drank over three glasses. The seemingly mild wine could actually be a bit potent and, like other alcohol, especially on those who weren't used to its effects. This type of situation could be an advantage, in a perverted sense anyhow, but as the king thought about it, he didn't feel that to be appropriate.

The mortal sighed with obvious exasperation, pressing her napkin down beside the dinner plate. For a moment, she had thought getting herself intoxicated had been Jareth's plan. Was that not what the king wanted? She drew her eyes to him, seeing that he was not eating as well, eyeing her instead. What _did_ he want? Did he want more than sex? Or was there really some sort of revenge plot schemed out against her? These questions infested her mind mercilessly and it did not matter how much she gazed at the Goblin King's ghostly, ethereal countenance. Its features were veiled with a practiced calmness and held no answers for her.

Increasingly angered as there was a sort of battle of who could stare the longest without blinking, Sarah was unable to contain her words. "What exactly do you want with me, Jareth? I know that I've asked you this before but you just cannot give me a straight answer. I've been confused all day. I just can't figure you out."

At first, Jareth did not seem like he was going to reply, his face still static. Then he straightened in his seat. "I brought you here because you wanted to be here. You did not prefer your life before and you disliked your stepmother. I took you from all of that. What more do you want of me?" In his heart, as much as he did not want it, he felt an aching pang of guilt. There could be no proper revenge with love involved and that was exactly what he was feeling for this mortal. And, little did she know, he was as confused about her as she was of him.

Sarah remained quiet for a long moment, reminded of an earlier time when he had said something vaguely similar. She knew he was right; she couldn't stand living in that house, even after feeling closer to Toby. Her step-mother was a living hell. She had in fact missed out on having any parents at all because her father may have just as well not existed; he was always away at either work or with that bitch. Arguments were a natural occurrence and she had only herself to defend because, somehow, she was never right. As these memories flooded back, a frown creased her forehead. Her eyes had long averted from Jareth, especially when she began to ponder how she felt about him.

What did _she_ want from _him_? Refuge, protection, support, trust, affection... love?

Sarah closed her eyes tightly and shook her head, as if attempting to clear her mind. "Let's just drop it," she spoke feebly, grasping her frail wine glass tightly as she brought it to her lips.

Jareth had simply studied her, feeling a sudden unmistakable connection with her. He could see that she harbored the same angst as he and that, basically, the two had a sort of parallel past dealing with their families. It was merely the way of their social backgrounds that set them apart. He had been hateful of his mother for leaving (and still had a deep resentment) and he had been angry that his father had died before he could ever know him. Sarah's mother had abandoned her when was old enough to remember and her father became a different man upon meeting a different woman who happened not to be pleasant.

If Sarah had been looking, she would have seen Jareth's facial features give him away while he was immersed in his thoughts. However, she was staring at the table in a reverie. The dim candlelight of the hall and the wine was beginning to make her eyelids heavy and now, though she didn't want to sleep. Not just yet. She searched the room for a source of time and found from the ornate grandfather clock that it was half past ten.

"That was a delicious dinner," she complimented, trying to make conversation.

Jareth focused his eyes on the girl and nodded in agreement. "It was." He then glanced at the clock as well. "I should retire now. I have some engagements to take care of in the morning. Would you like for me to escort you back to your chambers?" All of this was said is a distant manner, carefully masked because of fear for disclosing the truth. What he had said was not a complete lie as he did have a meeting scheduled with someone of nobility, although it really was rather minor and insignificant. He had to keep a certain distance from this girl before he made a fool out of himself.

Sarah felt a disappointment flow through her and hoped it did not show. "Yes, of course..." she nearly whispered in hidden reluctance.

Slowly, the mortal stood up from her chair as did the king and in silence, they walked out of the spacious dining hall. There were no words during all the long journey to her door, but it was not an awkward situation; nothing needed to be said.

Sarah's hand loosely gripped the onyx doorknob as she faced the fae with a sad look about her. "Thank you for tonight," she said while she smiled lightly up at Jareth, who in turn took her hand that had been on the doorknob in his and inadvertently kissed it tenderly as he had done before. Involuntarily, she drifted towards him as he lowered her hand down. They were now slight inches away from their bodies touching one another and as Sarah's eyes were captured by the king's piercing mismatched pair, she could faintly feel his warm breath at her cheek. Instinctively, her eyes closed and immediately Jareth's lips pressed against her own in an innocent yet yearning kiss. She sighed into the kiss and leaned into his body, feeling his arms loop around her waist.

Without much thought, Jareth pushed Sarah into the door and after fumbling with the doorknob, they were in her chambers, desperately trying to find her large bed in the pitch darkness. The kiss had made a sharp twist to being heated with hunger, tongues battling for dominance. It did not take too much time to slip the king's jacket and vest off. The mortal's senses churned madly as she felt the fae's fingers at the small buttons at the back of her gown.

Then, just as quick as it began, it ended as Jareth overcame his desire and his morals came back into play. There was something wrong in all of this. He let his hands drop from her suddenly and pulled away, backing up. The light from the door to the hallway shone in so he could make out her form. At first, she stood with confusion but then trudged over to the bed and sat, slumped over with her hands covering her face. She wanted to ask him what was the matter but she kept still and said nothing.

Jareth shook his head, frustrated with himself. He turned away towards the open door and walked out, sensing the emotion overwhelming him. He couldn't keep playing this game with himself. Everything had become so difficult and it had only been just a single day.

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Aren't you mad at me? Sorry, but sex_ can _mess with the plot... review and tell me what you think.


	8. Chapter 7 Game

My procrastinating is becoming habitual. Man, I know I need to be writing more but life gets in the way. I only hope you all enjoy this chapter. My ideas are always willing to shift on how this thing is going to turn out so please keep up all of your lovely reviewing. You're all so sweet. This chapter is rated PG. Next chapter will perhaps become a bit suggestive. Who knows?

- Monica, blackmajick7

Disclaimer: Jareth and Sarah belong to Jim Henson. Everyone else is my creation.

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**CHAPTER SEVEN**

The golden light seeped through the exposed windows, producing a slight tingling sensation on Sarah's face as she lay on her back in the soft bed sheets that had become tangled about her torso and legs during the restless night. Groaning slightly, her tired eyes cracked open to only be assaulted by the glaring sunlight that immediately forced them closed again. She lifted her hand to protect her eyes as well but it caught her ear instead, clearly signifying that she was out of it for the time being. She had no desire to drag herself from the comfortable bed and confront the king. It seemed the better idea to stay confined in the bedchambers the whole day and have meals brought. Or better yet, she could not eat at all and just lie there the whole day. Settled with this simple plan, Sarah remained where she was and attempted to lull herself into a nice sleep, unlike the ceaselessly erratic one she experienced during the night. After Jareth had walked out on her, she had stayed awake with her thoughts, taking breaks only to have a bit of trouble in taking off her well-buttoned gown and slipping on a dark green nightgown. Now, she lay miserable, still asking the same questions as she had before.

She could not fathom why he left her so abruptly when she had clearly presented to him the fact that she wanted him. Did he not want her now? He must or else he wouldn't have kissed her. He was hiding something and it tore Sarah to pieces with her wanting to know what it was so badly.

The sun began to bake at the skin on her bare arms which she slowly tried to cover with the thin sheets. Lying there, she could see, was not going to alleviate any of her current dilemma; it would only serve as a catalyst to further irritate her mind. Without opening her eyes, she lifted her body from the bed in a languid, nearly struggling movement. Her long legs endeavored in escaping the tanglements of the sheets and found their way at the far edge of the bed. From there, she slid from the bed and onto her feet, and then felt a clamping pressure in her head, causing her to promptly sit back down. Pressing her index fingers to her temples, she silently cursed herself for allowing Jareth to get so rooted in her thoughts and also for drinking that strangely sweet wine. As she sat like that, a knife-like pain in her shoulders and back sprung forth from nowhere. Her eyes shut closed tightly as a result of this and remained that way until the discomfort subsided a bit. At this moment, bitter execrations directed mainly toward Jareth slipped from her mouth.

Just then, a soft knock came at the door, causing Sarah to jerk her head up in slight surprise. After grumbling acrimoniously under her breath from the sharp pain roused from her sudden movement, she called out in a weakened voice, "What do you want?"

The large double doors opened swiftly and a fae woman stepped inside. Sarah didn't acknowledge her until she had come forth to her. It was then that the mortal saw that it was the same fae, whom she would later know as Caoimhe, with the emerald eyes from the past day who had brought her fruit. In her hands, she held a tray with but a glass of some colorless liquid.

"This will help to soothe your ache," she explained, setting the tray down easily on a small end table close by. Her eyes settled onto Sarah and she smiled genuinely. She wore a simple light pink, long-sleeved dress that produced an utterly aesthetic quality to her slight countenance. Her long blond hair was left undone, spilling behind her back and onto her narrow shoulders, framing her porcelain face. She was so perfect-looking that she seemed not to be real.

Sarah turned her eyes away and let them settle on the strange drink. "How did you know I wasn't feeling well?" she asked, feeling guarded.

Caoimhe only smiled wider. "I believe it was known by some that you had more than your share at the wine last evening." She reached her smooth hand over to the tray and grasped the fine glass with slender fingers. Stepping forward, she held it out to the mortal, who at first looked on at it warily before finally accepting the glass into her own hands.

It shouldn't have come to a surprise that the same second Sarah allowed the somewhat sweet fluid into her mouth and rush through her throat, a refreshing relief washed over her entire body. The pain in her head dissolved along with the lingering ache in her body, leaving her feeling physically regenerated. Pulling the glass away from her lips, she looked flummoxed but slightly in better spirits of the mind as well.

"What is in that?" she inquired, though it came out more as an exclamation.

The fae shook her head, "Nothing from your world." She took the glass from Sarah and set it back onto the tray before lifting it up and walking towards the doors. "Would you care for anything to eat?"

Sarah shook her head before she realized that the fae was not watching her. She began to open her mouth to speak her decline when Caoimhe answered her reply quickly.

"Fine then but please let me know if you need anything at all. I should suggest that you get dressed," she called over her shoulder, "Your friends will be arriving shortly."

Sarah jumped up, her mouth open and smiling in happy astonishment. "Really? Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus? Oh my God, they're coming today?!"

Caoimhe turned around for a brief second. "Yes, they will be here around half past eleven." Doors close by, she was about to take her leave when Sarah's voice stopped her.

"Where's Jar-- uh.. His Majesty?" She bit her lip, not quite sure if she should say his name informally. She had stood up from the bed and stepped forward, looking much more blithe and jubilant than before.

Caoimhe grinned a little in amusement. "His Majesty is entertaining a noble visitor. I do not know of how long the meeting will be but I shall let you know when it's over." With this, she turned back to the doors and as she did so, they opened without the help of her hands. She made her way out of the chambers then and when she was gone, the doors closed by themselves, enchanted with magic.

Sarah only looked bewildered and said not a word, eyes on the doors, enthralled with wonder by how much more amazing the fae were than the being she was.

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Lord Edan lay back lazily in an oversized, plush sofa seat. He looked comfortable enough where he sat, his hands clasped together as his eyes surveyed the huge parlor. He had been here many times. The room was decorated entirely in gold and black. The walls were covered in golden wallpaper, the soft carpeting was black, the customary massive drapes framing the tall windows were gold with thick black braided ropes, and the furniture was accessorized with glinting gold fabric with daedal black threading design or vice versa. Every ornamental item in the parlor such as vases and statues only further embellished on the given effect of the colors. Edan could tell that the room could be said to be truly fit for a king and this thought cultivated a crooked smile. He turned his eyes forward to the fair figure sitting on the black sofa across from him.

"What have you been doing with yourself, Jareth?" he asked lightly and a touch hubristically, the grin still there on his handsomely dark-featured face.

The Goblin King sighed, not making the slightest attempt to look interested. "Whatever the duties are that the King holds." His response came out dry and bored.

Edan nodded with an unsolicited chuckle as he studied Jareth. The pale skin of his face stood out in stark contrast to the black breeches and dark blue painter's shirt he wore. His right ankle lie settled on his left knee and his arms were crossed. In a slouched position, the King did not quite look his part. "Whatever they may be." These words came out more arrogantly than before.

Jareth did not reply and let his resentment build up for the lord. What in the blazing Underground does he want? he asked himself. He was growing tired and knew of at least a dozen more appealing things to occupy himself with. It was not his wish to waste time chit-chatting with this fool.

"I've heard of your new guest. I'm sure that you must be somewhat kept busy with her." Edan mentioned it in a most casual manner. He stood up and strode over to a wall to examine a large painting of a past king. His eyes quickly turned from the frame though and peered at Jareth, who was now enveloped in the shadows where the bright sun did not touch. "Sarah is her name, am I not right?"

The king shifted in the dark silken sofa, his senses instantly aroused upon hearing the mortal's name. "And what of her? Really, I had the vaguest notion that you might have had something more important to discuss, Edan." The remark came out sly and cold as if he thought little of the girl, which was quite the contrary.

The ebony-haired fae smiled grimly, continuing his path towards one of the high windows that overlooked the Goblin City. It still appeared fairly dingy and unkempt as it had always. Smirched chickens huddled about everywhere among the poor goblin houses while scraggly cats of all colors slinked behind the shadows, scouting for mice and the like. Indeed, the city was nothing to neither be proud of nor feel the desire to live by. At least it did not appear that the king allowed the worthless goblins to whisk along in the more private chambers of the castle.

Ignoring Jareth's response, Edan went on further with the subject. "Is she not the same girl who beat your labyrinth?" He observed the king's reaction which was composed, though he could tell he had gotten the frigid fae slightly flustered. "The mortal?"

Jareth narrowed his eyes. "Yes, she is."

Edan slowly nodded, his hands linked behind his back, stepping away from the view of the city. "Hmm, that is somewhat interesting. You've never brought a _mortal_ here to stay with you for your entertainment. And she defeated you." While he said this, he had a thoughtful expression on his face. He settled down into a chair that was near the window and laid his long arm along the armrest, propping his chin against his upright palm and placing a finger to his closed mouth. "Quite interesting."

"What do you find so intriguing?" the king questioned, still seemingly relaxed yet increasing riled.

A smile found its way to Edan's lips again and he straightened his posture, shaking his head as he did so. "I should believe that you must fancy this mortal if you are having her in your castle and just so recently after her besting you at your game."

Jareth frowned deeply, fearing and knowing that this would be a point that the crafty fae would wish to bring up. Obviously, he did not want to disclose his feelings to Edan anymore than to Sarah. He was much too proud to do such a thing. "It is merely basic attraction."

Edan cocked an eye brow. "_Quite_ an attraction. If it grows into anything more, I shouldn't have to remind you that mortal blood has never mixed with ours. It would mean weakness."

"No, you do not have to remind me. But why is it of your concern? I am the King of Goblins. I have the choice of bending the rules," Jareth countered in a most superior and cool tone of voice.

Edan nodded briskly. "Oh, but yes. Of course, Your Majesty." The irritating grin came again. "I would like to meet the girl. She must be a very special mortal to capture your attention." Then, standing up and bowing, the older fae made his way to one of the impressively carved doors. "I shall visit at a later time. Until then, good-bye."

Jareth exhaled loudly after Edan left, covering his eyes and forehead with his hand. He was starting to feel the beginnings of a most hellish headache.

* * *

The shine of the sun glared within the full-length mirror, temporarily blinding Sarah for a moment as she viewed herself in the pale yellow gown of fine linen and delicate lace. She found this dress to be much more comfortable as it did not have such a tight fit along her breasts and waist. However, this was not to say that it did not play up on her feminine curves either. The gown had a moderately cut rounded neckline with three-quarter length sleeves embroidered with a small detailing of blossoming buds at the hem as well as white lace. It hung flatteringly at the waist and then flowed out by the many skirts in place underneath. The corset she was wearing added to her comfort as Caoimhe said it would for it was designed to be of a more "casual" style.

After slipping into a pair of white flats and brushing out her thick dark hair, Sarah turned from the mirror and looked at the time. It was nearly noon. Her jaw dropped, apprehending that Hoggle and the others would likely be at the castle now. Quickly, she sprinted from the room, accidentally slamming the double doors behind her which caused a loud echoing clash. From there, she hastened down the hall with a slightly more than ambiguous sense of direction. Luckily, she met with a fae servant on her way who led her to the luxurious library on the first floor of the castle. There, she was to wait for her friends as they had not yet arrived.

As she sat on a dark maroon and silver embroidered sofa, she couldn't help but to spring immediately up and explore her surroundings. At first, her eyes were filled with wonderment of the vast amount of books, maps and journals that congested the entire room. Every wall had shelves leading all the up to the towering ceiling dedicated to rows of literature. A couple of ornate glass casings were at one wall, filled with what appeared to be ancient various writings. Other than this, the earthen-toned library had a plenteous number of snug seating available. An enormous, fine crystal chandelier hung down from the ceiling that flickered in the soft lighting of the room. It was the most appealing library Sarah had ever seen and though it would be an understatement to say it was considerably spacious, she still felt safe in its silence and seclusion.

Her hand reaching for an anonymous book, Sarah heard a knock sound at the door, breaking the quietude. She dropped her hand from the book and she called for whoever was there to enter. What she immediately saw and heard was a large, hairy creature that lumbered in through the door which caused her mouth to break out into a huge smile.

"Sarah! Ludo missed Sarah!" the beast announced, his burly arms outstretched.

The mortal burst into laughter and ran to Ludo, wrapping her small arms around him as much as she could as his engulfed her. "Oh, I missed you too, Ludo!" she cried back, feeling her green eyes beginning to tear up.

As she pulled away, she spotted Sir Didymus on his most noble companion sheepdog, Ambrosius. "My lady, it has certainly been too long. I have missed you as well," he declared in his sincere voice, although it had only been a couple months or so since he had seen her.

"Sir Didymus!" Sarah closed the distance and threw her arms around the little knight, feeling more emotion swell within her. "Yes, it has been too long." That was all she could muster as a trickling rivulet of water ran down her cheek as she held Sir Didymus. Her right hand found its way to Ambrosius' thick, soft hair and she was sweetly reminded of Merlin.

When she brushed her fingers across her skin to wipe away the tears and gently let go of Sir Didymus, she heard a most familiar voice and turned her head towards where it came from by her side.

"We've all missed you, Sarah," the little dwarf said shyly. He was looking down at his hands, most likely from the fear of crying in front of the girl.

Sarah grinned and flung her arms around Hoggle and, though hesitant at first, fiercely embraced her as well, forgetting his pride. "I'm so sorry it's been a while. I love you all so much!" she muttered in a whisper, closing her eyes tight.

There the girl remained for some time, in Hoggle's arms surrounded by her other true friends while her silent sobs shuddered through her, content to at least feel some security of a home in the Underground.

* * *

The deep blue drapes drawn and the large bedchamber lit only by a single dwindling candle, Jareth lay on his canopy bed with his eyes barely closed so to not place any further pressure on his aching head. He was fully clothed in his same dark attire as before even though he could have easily changed into pajamas or perhaps have gone completely nude with the easy twist of a hand. However, the clothes were adequate enough.

While he lay there, he thought of Sarah and despite of the headache, his lips stretched into a smile. He knew that she was rejoining with her friends at the moment and it gave him a sort of happiness to bring her joy. Sighing, he was met with the knowing thought that she would come to be closer because of him giving her what she wished for. The closer, the better.

Suddenly, a loud and harsh rapping came at the doors. Jareth groaned, angered by the noise. "I thought I made it clear that no one was to disturb me," he shouted from where he lay.

Much to Jareth's surprise, the doors flew open with a loud crash. A shadowed silhouette stepped inside soundlessly and made its way towards him in the bleak darkness. He straightened from his vulnerable position on the bed and stood, his pain subsiding to only be replaced by rage. But before he could utter a word, the shine of fiery red hair caught his mismatched eyes in the candlelight.

"Hello, Jareth," a smooth voice greeted. The form took shape, the very curvy shape of a woman. The creature's face slid into the light and long, skilled fingers were at the back of his neck. "This lighting can put one in the mood," she invitingly whispered into his ear. With her closeness, he could smell her fragrant scent and had to catch himself from falling prey to her.

"How are you, Silvana?"

* * *

Please review now all you peoploids!


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